Sky sign



Se t. 11, 1934. I H. s. GORDON SKY SIGN Filed May 21, 1934 Int Fanfar-#4115 G. Gore/0- Patented Sept. l1, 1934 TATES P A. T

SKY SHGN Application May 21, 1934, Serial No. 126,758

'7 Claims.

The principal objects of this invention are to provide facsimiles ormodels of articles of commerce which will be capable of being towedthrough the air at a considerable altitude by an aeroplane or auto-giroor other means of aerial progression, which device Will trail readily,maintaining its natural position by reason of its structural features.

A further and important object is to provide a sky sign of extensiveproportions which may in emergencies be released without danger to thepublic.

The principal features of the invention consist in the novelconstruction of the facsimile of an article of merchandise wherebybuoyancy of the article is attained in the use of a tapered wind tunnelextending through the device from end to end. An auxiliary buoyancy isprovided in the arrangement of gas compartments external to the windtunnel and assisting in the ultimate shaping of the article.

Further features of importance consist in the novel arran ement ofdihedral angled air foils within the wind tunnel to ensure the properpositioning of the device and to assist in its floating ability, andstill further, in the provision of external wings or vanes of atransparent nature which will function in guiding the device and willbecome invisible so as to not detract from the outline of the article.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a perspective view of a skysign constructed in accordance with this invention representing acollapsible 'ube such as used for creams of various kinds.

Figure 2 is a horizontal longitudinal midsection through the deviceillustrated in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal mid-section through the deviceillustrated in Figure l.

40 Figure 4 is a cross section through the device taken on the line i4=of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a rear end view of the device illustrated in Figure 1.

It has been determined that a tapered wind tunnel may be sustained in ahorizontal position and will support a considerable load with a moderateflow of air through the tunnel. This principle is applied in the presentinvention.

It is found desirable to provide display devices representing certainarticles of manufacture against the sky. Consequently such devicerequires to be of considerable proportions. Very few articles ofmerchandise are of an elongated frustro-conical form and when such aform of device is used with the purpose of maintaining elevation, it isdesirable to disguise this form, and in accordance with the presentinvention as herein illustrated the frustro-conical wind tunnel 1 whichmay be made of very light material, either rigid, semi-rigid orflexible, is surrounded by an outer shell 2 which is shaped to thecontour of the article to be represented, the shape here shown beingthat of a flexible or collapsible tube such as is used for dental andface creams.

Between the frustro-conical member 1 and the outer shell 2 are arrangeda plurality of gastight balloon sections 3 which are filled with asuitable lighter-thamair gas and thus sustain the outer shell indefinite relationship to the inner supporting wind tunnel. The buoyancyof these gas-filled balloons is such as to partly balance orover-balance the weight of the entire structure so that the whole may belighter than The structures shown may be supported by light framework ifdesired to impart longitudinal rigidity and transverse orcircumferential frames may be used to sustain any desired shape, suchfor instance, as the flat end 4 of the tube here shown is preferablyconstructed of moulded rubber of a semi-rigid form which will hold theshape of the flat ellipse. In this particular form the small end of thewind tunnel flares outwardly to permit of the proper flow of air wherethe side walls are drawn in to form the flat sides 5 of the tube end.

Reinforcing ribs 6 of rubber material of a stifi form may be arrangedbetween the gasholding sections 3 if found desirable.

At the front end of the frustro-conical wind tunnel 1 is secured a ring7 which is preferably of a light, rigid construction and to this ringare secured a plurality of swivel shackles 8 of a suitable form to whichcables 9 are secured. These cables are of equal length and are connectedtogether by a coupling 10 which is connected by a cable 11 to anaeroplane or other suitable means of propulsion. The coupling 10 ispreferably provided with an elastic connection which may be a metallicspring or may be rubber.

The front end of the tubular structure has applied thereto afrustro-conical shield 12 to represent the sloping convergent surface ofa pasteholding tube, and upon this is mounted a cap 13. The shield 12 isprovided with openings 14 which allow a free flow of air into the windtunnel. These may be of any suitable shape or design, but should not besuch as to detract from the general appearance of the shape of thearticle which the sky sign is intended to represent.

Within the Wind tunnel and supported by the rigid ring '7 is an air foil15 which is preferably of a dihedral angled form and which is sloped ata suitable angle rearwardly so that the flow of air through the openings14 will strike its dihedral angled surfaces and effect the stabilizationof the device to keep it from spinning, and also to assist in supportingits weight.

It may be found desirable to add further air foils or vanes for thepurpose of stabilization of the sign device, and I have indicated in theaccompanying drawing an arrangement of short wings 16 which may bemounted on a light frame work of any suitable design. The surfacecovering of such wing frames will preferably be a transparent materialsuch as a cellulose product which will be quite strong enough to resistair pressure and form a substantial wing to assist in the support of theload of the device, but which at the altitude at which the device willbe displayed will be practically invisible.

This feature of utilizing invisible sections in such a device as hereindescribed may be carried to a considerable extent for purposes otherthan providing vanes or stabilizing fins and sections of the actualexternal structure may be made of transparent material to effectinvisibility from the ground.

It is understood that hollow frustro-conical devices of the wind sockvariety have been used as external supports for sky signs and wind sockshave been trailed by aeroplanes and have borne certain advertisingletters, but the present invention has been devised for the purpose ofeffecting the display as a sky sign of certain articles of manufacture,the commonest forms of which may be described as paste tubes, cigars,cigarettes and bottles, but many other forms of display structures maybe utilized in this manner by constructing such forms about a supportingwind tunnel and assisting in the support by the use of gas-filledsections.

The feature of buoyancy through the use of gas-filled sections is notonly important in reduci-ng the drag upon the propelling device, but

in cases of emergency where it becomes necessary to cut the sign loose,the sign being supported by its gas-compartment buoyancy, will float fora considerable period or will fall easily, and will i 1 not therefore bea menace to life or property in being precipitated to earth.

What I claim as my invention is:--

1. A sky sign comprising a tapered tubular wind tunnel, a tubular casingencircling said tunnel and spaced therefrom having an externalappearance of an article of commerce, means being provided to form aninter-connecting support between said wind tunnel and casing, and

means connected to one end of the wind tunnel to hold the device inaerial suspension.

2. A sky sign comprising a tubular casing formed in the shape of anarticle of commerce, a frustro-conical Wind tunnel arranged within saidcasing, gas compartments arranged between said wind tunnel and casingadapted to retain a lighter-than-air gas, and means connected to thecombined casings to hold them in aerial suspension.

3. A sky sign comprising a casing having an attractive exterior design,a frustro-conical wind tunnel extending longitudinally of said casing,gas-containing compartments arranged between said tunnel and casing,means connected to the forward end of the casing for holding it inaerial suspension with the larger end of the wind tunnel toward thedirection of movement, and air foils arranged to stabilize the device inthe air currents.

4. A sky sign comprising a casing having an attractive exterior design,a frustro-conical wind tunnel extending longitudinally of said casing,gas-containing compartments arranged between said tunnel and easing,means connected to the forward end of the casing for holding it inaerial suspension with the larger end of the wind tunnel toward thedirection of movement, and an air foil having a dihedral angle arrangedwithin the wind tunnel adapted to stabilize the device in the aircurrents.

5. A sky sign comprising a frustro-conical wind tunnel having a tow ringat one end, a plurality of shackles mounted on said tow ring, cablesconnected to said shackles, an elastic coupling connecting the ends ofsaid cables, and a tubular casing secured to and surrounding said windtunnel and spaced therefrom, the exterior thereof representing anarticle of commerc 6. A sky sign comprising a frustro-conical windtunnel, a tubular casing surrounding said wind tunnel and connectedthereto and spaced therefrom, means connected to the larger end of thewind tunnel for towing same through the air, and air foils oftransparent material secured to said casing and forming stabilizers toretain said casing in a defined position.

7. A sky sign comprising a frustro-conical wind tunnel, a casingencircling said wind tunnel and spaced therefrom, light semi-rigidannular supports reinforcing said casing at the ends and intermediate ofits length, gas-containing compartments arranged between said windtunnel and said casing containing a lighter-than-air gas adapted tosupport the weight of said tunnel and casing, means for stabilizing saidtunnel and casing, and means for towing said device.

HANS G. GORDON.

